Horse-detacher



(No Model.)

T. M. FERGUSON.

HORSE DETAGHER.

Patented Jan. 13, 1885.

ATTORNEYS.

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THOMAS M. FERGUSON, OF SUCARNOOHEE, MISSISSIPPI.

HORSE DETACHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,808, dated January 13, 1885.

(N0 model.)

To (ZZZ, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. FERGUSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sucarnochee, in the county of Kemper and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse-Detachers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the in vention,which will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a rear elevation of my improved horse-detacher, showing the detaching-levers depressed in their normal position. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same, showing the detaching-levers elevated or opened by their operating-cord in order to permit the cockeyes of the traces to slip off of the outer ends of the trace-holding pins; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view of the de vice in its closed position.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention relates to that class of horsedetachers in which the cockeyes on the rear ends'of the traces may be readily released from the ends of the singletree by a single movement of the drivers hand; and it consists in the improved construction and combination of parts of a device of the abovedescribed class, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the single-tree proper, upon each end of which are secured the metal caps 13, provided at their outer ends with the recess B and slot B, for the purpose herein specified.

WVithin the longitudinal recess B of each cap B is pivotally secured, at the outer end of the said recessed cap, the trace-holding pin 0, which is of such a length that that portion of it which lies within the recess 13 is about four times the length of the projecting end upon which the cockeye of the trace fits. The recess B is preferably about twice the depth at its inner end that it is at its outer end, so that the inner extremity of the pivoted pin 0 lies back or clear of the pivoted operative end of the detaching-lever D.

D D indicate the detaching-levers, each of which is provided at one end with a cam, D, which is eccentrically pivoted within the slot B in such a manner that when the outer free end of the said lever is depressed the cam will serve to lock the inner end of the traceholding pin within its recess, while when the outer end of the lever D is raised or elevated the inner free end of the pin 0 will be allowed to swing out of its recess. The outer free end of the lever, which extends beyond the end of the cap B, is bent down at right angles, so as to extend immediately in front of and at right angles to the outer end of the trace-holding pin, so as to prevent the cockeye from slipping off of the said end when the lever is depressed in its normal position. The outer ends of the detachinglevers are connected by an operating cord or strap, E, from the center of which asecond cord or strap, F, extends back within easy reach of the drivers hand.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction of my improved horse-detacher will readily be understood without requiring further explanation.

It will be seen that the outer end of the levers D may be readily lifted to admit of the cockeyes of the traces being slipped upon the outer ends of the trace-holding pins 0, when the levers may be again depressed, and the cams on their inner ends will serve to hold or look the pins G firmly in their closed position, while the downwardly-projecting ends of the levers will prevent the cockeyes from slipping off of the outer ends of the pins.

It will be seen that by constructing the inner portion of the pivoted pins 0 of a much greater length than their outer ends the holding-cams of the levers D will have a great leverage in holding the said pins in their locked position.

In order to detach the horse from the ve- 5 hicle the driver merely pulls upon the single operating cord or strap F, thereby through the intervening cords E E raising the outer ends of the levers D D into avertical position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, when the inner ends of the trace-holding pins will be permitted to swing out, so as to allow the cockeyes of the traces to slip off of the ends of the said pins, thereby readily and easily freeing the horse from the vehicle.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- As an improvement in horse-detachers, the combination, with a single-tree provided with metallic caps, each of which is provided with a longitudinal recess and avertical slot opening down into the said recess near its inner end, of the trace-holding pins pivotally secured within the said recesses, detaching-levers provided at their inner end with cams adapted to be pivoted eccentrically within the vertical slots of the metallic caps, and having their outer ends bent down at right angles, so as to extend immediately in front of the outer ends of the trace-holding pins, and operating-cords extending from the outer ends of the detaching-levers to a point Within easy reach of the drivers hand, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially in the. 2 5

manner, and for the purpose shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOS. M. FERGUSON.

Vitnesses:

HncToR GAINE, J. B. ODEN. 

